Advisor: Sra. Gonzalez

Our exchange program began thirty-three years ago as a way to increase international understanding among students. We are most proud of this accomplishment because the average life of a home-stay exchange program is approximately three to four years.  To date, over 380 Italian students have spent their home-stay in Amherst with well over 350 different American families.  At least 350 Amherst students have spent time living abroad with Italian families as well as traveling to major Italian cities including Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Siena, Milan.  We've also been able to visit Paris, Munich, and Innsbruck.

Because we believe in giving the students an authentic experience abroad, we do not merely participate in an educational tour.  Our goal is to give the students a variety of experiences with lasting consequences, thus creating relationships with those abroad to continue for a lifetime.  It is imperative for our students to have a better understanding of European culture to promote international travel among our student body.